The Teachers' Tech Lounge Exploring the wise use of tech to increase student achievement 

  Welcome to the Web  provides technology teachers with an organized framework and learning modules to help students understand the Internet.

Staying Safe Online is a wonderful resource with multiple sites, printables, and video clips for teacher Internet Safety.  (Part of the Teaching Ideas site)

 Taking the Mystery Out of Copyrights is a site from the Library of Congress to help students navigate the legal pitfalls of web resources.

4Kids.org

4Kids.org is a team of educators, writers, technology specialists and students that produces weekly articles and links demonstrating how online learning can be a safe, fun and adventurous activity.

Education.Com

Education.com is the fastest growing site in its class and the go-to destination for involved parents. From kindergarten readiness through college prep, Education.com gives parents the information they need and the ideas they want to help their kids reach their full potential and make learning fun.

VuSafe Video  VuSafe is an online content library that enables schools/districts to create a secure environment for showing Internet-based videos in the classroom. Teachers can use VuSafe to find videos, post them to a VuSafe library, organize the videos using keywords and categories, and share them with their students safely. The service removes all outside content present on sites such as YouTube, eliminating access to inappropriate comments, advertisements or other non-approved videos.

Webonaut Academy for Kids from PBS Webonauts Internet Academy is a web original game for PBS KIDS GO! that gives kids 8- to 10-year-old an opportunity to have some fun while exploring what it means to be a citizen in a web-infused‚ information-rich world. It is an engaging experience on its own but becomes all the more powerful when parents and teachers use game play as a springboard for conversations about media literacy and citizenship in the 21st Century.

   NetSmartz Kids.Org is a great site to teach and reinforce Internet safety for elementary age students.  When they successfully complete the program, they receive a certificate and a badge.

10 Tips for Teachers for Staying Smart on Social Networking Sites is a very thorough article on the ins and outs of social networking for educators.

Cyber Cafe Internet Safety (Ages 8-10) We’ve made this website to help you go on the internet in a safe way and know who to talk to if you are worried.  Site for ages 5-7 should click here.

Web 2.0 Resources for Teachers is a great collection of free online resources for teachers.  Click on the colored tabs on the top of the web page to explore.

ThinkingMachine.pbworks.Com is a nice collection of technology integration resouces — everything from podcasting to digital photography to wikis.

Internet Safety with Professor Garfield provides guidance on how to protect students online.

My Digital Footprints – Elementary Level Internet Safety Lessons

Growing with Technology Web Site has several technology lessons for students grouped by level and then by topic.  Click on a level to arrive in a room.  From there, students can take lessons on computer skills, tech vocabulary, keyboarding, word processing, presentation, drawing and graphic design, spreadsheets, data bases, and Internet.

Common Sense Media.Org  is a great site to get “common sense” advice on all media and its appropriateness for children.  It has movie and video game reviews, but there is also an extensive set of resources for educators (click the tab at the top).

Faux Paw and the Dangerous Download Video is a great way to teach students about Internet safety.

180 Tech Tips.Com

180TechTips.com offers 15 hours of free computer training in 180 easy to follow 5 minute lessons.  This isn’t a boring 15 hour lecture.  We aren’t going to lock you in a computer lab for 2 days of ineffective staff development training that leaves you more confused than you were when you started.  This is the kind of relevant and uncomplicated computer training everyone needs.

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If this is the kind of low pressure, easy to follow computer training you want just click on the link above to sign up now for 180 free tech tips!  Try it for a day or a week, you can unsubscribe at any time.  All you have to submit is your email address.  Your personal information will not be shared with anyone.

My Guide is a free online computer tutorial site that takes you through lessons depending on your level of expertise — Starting, Using, Understanding.  Great tool for any classroom technology teacher.

Driver Max — from the web site…

Note: DriverMax only works on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2003 (all service packs, both 32 bit and 64 bit versions). Driver downloads are *only* available for Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP users.

DriverMax is a new tool that allows you to download the latest driver updates for your computer. No more searching for rare drivers on discs or on the web or inserting one installation CD after the other. Just create a free account, log in, and start downloading the updates that you need.

You can also export all your current drivers (or just the ones that work ok) to a folder or a compressed file. After reinstalling Windows you will have everything in one place!

Most of the situations when Windows is running slower are caused by faulty driver installations. Windows stores all versions of older drivers just in case you want to go back; sometimes it messes up older versions with more recent ones. The Export Wizard will only export the drivers you select by copying the needed files to a folder or a compressed ZIP file.

 Get Your Web License from PBS Kids is a great interactive site to use when teaching students about Internet safety.  At the end of the “driver’s test” students will receive a Web License they can print.

Online Safety for Students is a flip joint created in a joint venture with Brain Pop and Promethean.  The link will take you to a flip chart you can use to teacher Internet safety to students.